


A Proper Bath

by daydreamsonacloudyday



Series: Isabel Cousland [9]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2837291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydreamsonacloudyday/pseuds/daydreamsonacloudyday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isabel and Alistair share a bath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Proper Bath

When the towers of Redcliffe Castle came into view on the horizon, the relief on Isabel's face was immediate. Them and their companions had spent more than a week on the road, and before that an entire month in the Deep Roads, and they were all ready to spend the remainder of the day resting and recovering in a familiar safe haven.

Alistair lifted Isabel's hand to his mouth, their fingers intertwined together, and planted a kiss to the back of her gloved hand. Looking up at him she smiled—a tired, weary quirk of her lips, but a smile nonetheless.

"Just think, love," he started, leaning in closer to her, "we get to sleep in a big, comfortable bed tonight."

Isabel hummed in delight, her eyes slipping closed for a brief moment. "Maker, I can't wait," she sighed. She turned her gaze on him, mischief alighting her eyes as her lips curled into a wry smile. "I think the best part about it all is that there won't be any pointy rocks to roll me onto if we have sex."

Alistair's eyes widened, heat blooming in his cheeks. "That was an _accident_ …"

"You should have paid more attention to where you put the bedroll."

"I was a little distracted," he protested, trying to stop blushing.

Isabel snorted a laugh. "A _little_ distracted? I only distract you a little?" As if to make a point, she started walking with this _sway_ in her hips, his gaze instantly drawn downwards.

"Maker's breath, Izzy," he muttered, nervously scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. "You distract me _a lot_."

"A wonderful thing, really. I do love it when you blush like that." She picked up her pace until she was practically dragging him along with her towards the castle. "Come on, we're almost there and I want to distract you even more."

Alistair swallowed hard, the warmth in his face reaching the tip of his ears as he thought about what _that_ would entail, and he didn't hesitate to move faster, extremely interested in finding out what she had in store for him.

[[MORE]]Shortly after the group's arrival in the castle, Alistair found himself locked in a bathing room with Isabel, stripped of his armor and underclothes. He had never bathed with a woman before—he had never bathed with _her_ before—and he wasn't sure if they were actually going to bathe or do things of a… _dirtier_ nature.

All thoughts left his mind when Isabel brushed past him in all her naked glory, heading for the tub. Stopping before she stepped in the water, she reached up and started to undo the bun her hair was wrapped in, setting the pins aside on a small table near the bath. He watched, enthralled by her every movement as she gracefully plucked out the pins one by one before running her fingers through the remaining braid. When she finished she shook out her hair, the raven waves spilling over her shoulders, his fingers twitching at his side at the urge to run his hands through her hair.

Isabel stepped into the bath, closing her eyes and releasing a content sigh as she lowered herself into the steaming water. She cracked one eye open at him, a small smile on her lips.

"Are you going to stand there and watch me all day or are you going to come join me?" she asked, and Alistair huffed. _Of course_ she knew he was watching her. Doing as he was told, he stepped into the bath, water sloshing over the side of the tub as he settled in the tub opposite to her. She opened her other eye and beamed at him, and he couldn't resist smiling back. "It's about time," she said, lifting her foot above the water and bopping him on the nose with her toe. He chuckled, grabbing ahold of her ankle, pressing a kiss to the sole of her foot. Squealing, she jerked her foot back as she burst into laughter. "Alistair, that tickles!"

A very unladylike snort slipped into her giggles and he joined her in laughter until they both calmed down. He met her gaze, yet another smile on her lips.

"You seem happy," he mused.

"I _am_ happy," she announced. "I'm _finally_ taking a proper bath, I'm going to eat a real meal later, and like you mentioned earlier, I get to sleep in an actual bed tonight… and the best part is that I get to do it all with _you_." At her words, Alistair's heart warmed, a grin spreading across his face. Isabel chewed on her lower lip, biting back a smile before sitting up and leaning forward, gesturing to the table beside the bath. "First things first, we need to get nice and squeaky clean. Pass me that bar of soap and that washcloth and get over here."

Alistair handed her the soap and the cloth and scooted forward as she got to work lathering up the washcloth with suds before beginning to wash him. They maneuvered around the confined space of the tub, taking turns washing each other until every inch of them had been scrubbed clean. By the time they finished, half the water was on the floor around the bath, but neither of them cared, not wanting to leave each other's company just yet.

They sat in the remaining water in comfortable silence, Alistair sitting between Isabel's legs, her arms wrapped around him from behind. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, her fingers tracing over the fresh scar from the near-fatal wound he suffered just a handful of days ago. As much as he loved holding her in his arms, he was content to be locked in her embrace, simply resting his arms over hers.

"I love you, Alistair," she mumbled into his shoulder, her voice quiet as she hugged him tighter, as if she were afraid he would disappear otherwise. "I love you so much."

"I—"

His response was cut off when his stomach growled, his apparent hunger making itself known. Isabel giggled, and he could feel her chest heaving against his back as she laughed. 

"Dinner should be ready by now. We should go before your stomach complains some more." She punctuated her statement with a soft kiss to his shoulder, and then disentangled herself from him and stood up. Before she stepped out of the tub, Alistair grabbed her wrist, drawing her attention back to him.

"Isabel?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, too."


End file.
